The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is located at the historic LeFleur Bluff State Park and looks over 300 acres of dense Mississippi forest. The museum features an open-air amphitheater and many nature trails for our patron’s enjoyment. Contained within the museum are a series of large aquariums and exhibits include deer, waterfowl, fossils, and endangered species. More specifically, there are exhibits of diverse habitats including white-tailed deer and waterfowl and with fossil of zygorhiza, mosasaurus, and sloths on display, which are quite popular. The museum also has a 1,700-square foot greenhouse that has enormous biodiversity. The museum is proud to offer a preschool discovery room with murals and a treehouse with a slide. Kids of preschool age love playing in and around the treehouse.

Additionally, the Rotwein Theater has 200 seats for all kinds of presentations, and greater than 100,000 visitors make a trip to the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science every year, taking in the spectacular indoor and outdoor exhibits. What’s more, nature trails take you through forested bluffs, a river valley, lakes, and swamps. The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science has a number of special events including NatureFEST, Family Fun Science Night, Fossil Road Show, Snake Day and Park After Dark. Unique programs for scouts and teachers are also available. Call the museum to find out more.

The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science was founded in 1932 by Fannye Cook, who loved collecting Mississippi specimens, as well as studying natural resources. During 80 plus years of existence, the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science has constructed vast scientific collections, with a preservation goal in mind to benefit the citizens of Mississippi. Currently, the museum has greater than one million specimens of local vertebrates and freshwater mussels on display throughout the varied venue.

The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science education programs shares museum assets with the general public by reaching out to the citizens of Mississippi on a regular basis through a variety of means. Educational institutions benefit with instructional goods provided by the museum, as well as interactive educational affairs and teacher workshops. The museum is a living Mississippi classroom.

Other museum programs range from education on endangered species like mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and invertebrates, to plants, and inanimate fossils. All of these activities are hands-on and grade appropriate.

Scientific research is the primary purpose of The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, and it is a world-class tourist attraction for everyone who is looking to study the biology of Mississippi. The museum’s conservation biology department offers three programs to the public, including natural heritage, biological collections, and in-depth research. The department is staffed by a number of research biologists who document, monitor, and conserve Mississippi’s biodiversity for future generations.

The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and a member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers. It is here to serve the citizens of Mississippi and beyond.